The First Years
by Morzan's Elvish Daughter
Summary: The next gen's first years at Hogwarts come with suprises they never expected. Rose's POV. Sparotic updating.
1. The First Train Ride

_**The First Years**_

**I think that you, me and everyone but the lawyers know that if I owned anything but the plot and a few OC's, I wouldn't be here. This disclaimer applies to the entire story and will not be repeated. If something appears that I have borrowed from another author there will be a disclaimer at the top of the first chapter it appears in.**

**Sorry for that, just needed to get it out of the way. Now, on to the story.**

_"Looking back, at those years in school, I don't believe I would have_ _changed a thing_."- Rosemary Jazmeen Granger

* * *

The First Train Ride

Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly this year. The morning of the first of September was crisp but hardly clear as we bobbed across the road toward the sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkling like cobwebs in the cold air. A large cage rattled on top of the laden trolley Dad was pushing; the owl inside it hooted indignantly as I argued with my redheaded little brother.

"It won't be long and you'll be going too," I told Hugo once again.

"Two years,' he mumbled. "I want to go _now_!"

The commuters stared curiously at the owl as we wove our way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

"Hugo stop whining," Mum and Dad said at the same time, and I had to roll my eyes. Mother had planned that.

We arrived at the barrier then, and Dad and I pushed my trolley toward it. As we neared the barrier I feared a collision, never having seen this done before. And then I saw the front of the trolley go into the barrier, when eyes told me we ought to have crashed. As Dad and I emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, our vision was obscured by the thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, and many disembodied voices floated to my sensitive ears.

"Come on Rosie, let's find you a carriage," Dad said as Mum and Hugo came out of the barrier, and I rolled my eyes again. He was still using my old nickname, but I would not begrudge him his last bit of fun.

We walked through the mist to the very last carriage, and Dad and I hauled my trunk and owl into one of the compartments. Once I'd shooed him away, I closed the blinds and changed into my school robes, loving the feel of the smooth cotton.

As I walked back onto the platform I heard Hugo impatiently ask, "When will they be here?"

"Soon," Mum and I answered together, and I had to smile. That had not been planned.

True to our word, it was not long before we all heard a woman's voice saying, "I think that's them, Al."

A group of people emerged from the mist, their faces coming into focus only when they had drawn right up to us, so thick the steam had become.

"Hi," Albus said, sounding immensely relived.

I was relived as well, to finally have someone my age to talk to, and could only beam at him.

"Parked alright, then?" Dad asked Uncle Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."

"No I didn't," Mum said. "I had complete faith in you."

"As a matter of fact," I heard him whisper to Uncle Harry as they lifted Albus's trunk and owl onto the train, "I _did _Confund him. I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can us a Supersensory Charm for that."

I know that Mum and Auntie Ginny heard him too, because they both snorted softly the same time as I did.

While we had been listening in on Dad's conversation, Hugo and Lily- Albus's younger sister- started having an animated discussion about what house they would be sorted into when they finally got to Hogwarts.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," Dad said as he came back onto the platform," But no pressure."

_"Ron!"_

Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus looked solemn, and I knew I did too.

"He doesn't mean it," Mum and Auntie Ginny said, but Dad was no longer paying attention. Catching Uncle Harry's eye, Dad nodded covertly (or not) to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.

"Look who it is."

A man was standing there with his wife and son, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized his pointed chin. His wife had wavy brown hair and a rounded chin so unlike her husband's, and a similarly pale completion. Her most striking feature though, were her gold eyes. The boy resembled his father as much as Albus resembled Uncle Harry. The blond-haired man caught sight of us staring at him and he nodded curtly at the adults before turning away.

Before the swirling mists could completely envelop them, the gold eyed woman locked eyes with Mother and nodded, blinking slowly as she did so. Mother repeated the gesture, and I filed that bit of information away for later examination, as I had so with so much this past week.

"So that's little Scorpius," Dad said under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," Mum said, half stern, half amused. "Don't turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry," Dad said. I could see he was unable to help himself- and perhaps just how deep his rivalry with Scorpius' father went- when he added, "Don't get too friendly with him though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood." Before I could even contemplate replying a shout interrupted us.

"Hey!"

James had appeared out of the mists, and was evidently bursting with news.

"Teddy's back there," James said breathlessly, pointing over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? _Snogging Victoire_!"

He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.

"_Our_ Teddy! _Teddy Lupin! _Snogging our Victoire! _Our cousin!_ And I asked Teddy what he was doing-"

"You interrupted them," Auntie Ginny said. "You are so like Ron-"

"-and he said he'd come to see her off. And then he told me to go away. He's _snogging_ her!" James added, as though worried he had not made himself clear.

"Oh it would be lovely if they got married!" Lily whispered ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

"You have no idea just how much he_ is _part of this family," Mum muttered under her breath. Lily looked at her quizzically for a spilt second, but didn't say anything.

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," I heard Uncle Harry say as I said goodbye to Dad. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"

"Yeah," James said enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al- Teddy could have my room!"

"No," Uncle Harry said as I kissed Mum on the cheek. I rolled my eyes at the conversation and its participants, and she gave a small smile and shrug. "You and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."

As I sat down in mine and Al's compartment I heard Auntie Ginny say, "Don't forget to give Neville our love!"

"Mum! I can't give a professor _love_!" James replied.

"But you know Neville-"

"Outside yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love..." There was a pause, then- "See you later Al. Watch out for therstals!"

"I though you said they were invisible?_ You said they were invisible!_"

_James,_ I thought.

_What?_ he answered.

_Stop being a prick or I'll tell your parents what you and Lucy Carmikle were doing over the summer, _I threatened him sweetly.

_You wouldn't dare._

_Wouldn't I_, I replied with a smile and cut the connection.

I stood up and waved out the window at Auntie Ginny who, although she waved back, was paying no attention to me. I perked up my ears to hear what she was listening to, and found the middle of a conversation between Uncle Harry and Albus.

"One of them was a Slytherin," Uncle Harry was saying, "and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

I stopped listening. Close family matters, I told myself, but the subject of Houses was always a sore spot for any of the Weasley-Potter families.

A minute later doors started slamming all along the train, and the blurred outlines of parents were swarming forward for final kisses and last-minute reminders. Albus jumped into the carriage and Auntie Ginny closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest us. A great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned toward Uncle Harry.

"Why are they all staring?" Albus demanded as he and I craned around to stare at the other students.

"Don't let it worry you," Dad said. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

The comment was so completely Dad, Albus and I had to laugh. The train began to move, and I sat down, though Al stayed at the window. A few minutes later Al sat down, though I suspect the platform had been out of view after the first minute or so.

I had just gotten out my drawing pad when a knock sounded at the compartment door. I sighed and got up to answer the sound, thinking it was James, come to threaten me in person.

It was not James.

In the doorway stood the pale-faced boy my father had warned me against.

* * *

**I hope you all like the chapter. Please, point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I don't have a beta (though one would be welcome). Tell me what you think, whether you love it, hate it, or are somewhere in between going "what in the world?" I'd love to hear what you have to say.**

**-Morzan's Elvish Daughter**


	2. Unexpected Friendships

_**The First Years**_

Unexpected Friendships

"Um..." the pale boy in front of me started, obviously nervous. "Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

I smiled. It couldn't hurt to get to know the boy. Besides, Father only said not to get _too_ friendly, not that I couldn't _be _friends with him. "Of course you can sit with us, so long as Al doesn't mind. You don't mind, do you Al," I asked, turning Al.

Al looked up from staring out the window, looked at the boy for a moment, and nodded his consent. Not that it would have mattered anyway, I'm just not one to be rude, at least not to family. I smiled at the boy and sat down by the window, beckoning him in. Belatedly realizing I couldn't remember his name, and knowing I couldn't continue thinking of him as _the boy_, I asked, almost suddenly, and certainly a bit ramblingly, "What's your name? Mine's Rose, by the way, and this is Albus." Then I sat back and watched as he sat down, his face a confused mask for a moment before he answered.

"My name is Scorpius…. Scorpius Malfoy." He spoke his name as if he expected to get kicked out into the hall for it, and really, I couldn't blame him. Despite this, Scorpius- with all the courage of a Gryffindor- held out his hand to be shaken.

I took his hand in mine with a smile and said jovially, "Don't fret too much over the name, dearie. You won't get kicked out of here for it. Me and Al, we know a thing or two about famous names."

"How," was his slightly bitter question.

"Well, for starters," I replied slowly, "my full name is Rosemary Jazmeen Weasley."

"And you can stand me?"

His shocked question got out of me the first real laugh of the day- perhaps even the whole week,- and I replied, "I am not my name. Oh, what now?" This last because there was another knock at the door.

Out in the hall there was stood a girl, slightly shorter than me, with hair the color of burnished copper. Immediately upon my opening the door she flashed a smile so large it showed almost every one of her lightly yellowed teeth. I couldn't help but like the girl immediately. "Is there room for one more in there?"

"There's always room for one more. Right boys?" I half turned to face them.

"Until we get six or seven people in here, yeah. There's always room for one more" Al replied with a smile, standing and giving the redhead his hand to shake. Al made himself sound like an old-world gentleman, and gave a little bow to go with it as he said, "Albus Potter, at your service, miss."

I snorted so hard at that, I swear to God, I swallowed some of my snot.

"What?" Al was looking at Scorpius, who was shaking his head, a rueful little smile on his pale face.

"That would be _so_ like you, Potter."

"What?" This time the question was less baffled and more angered.

"It seems," the girl said, having put up her trunk, "that I am not the only new occupant to this compartment." With those words a would-be argument was broken up. "Mr.?" She looked pointedly at Scorpius.

"Malfoy. Scorpius Malfoy." He sounded a bit more confident this time, at least.

"Scorpius," she repeated. After shaking hands with him, she turned to me. "It seems I don't know your name."

"Rosemary Weasley," I replied with a smile. "But please, just call me Rose." Next I turned the tables on her. "While it would seem you know all our names," I gestured to Al, Scorpius, and myself, "we don't know yours."

"Of course," she said with a little laugh. "How silly of me. My name is Katrina… Stronghammer."

I cocked my head to the side with the boys. There had been a definite pause between the first and last names, as if she wasn't sure. Before I could think, out of my mouth came, "Stronghammer?"

Katrina blinked, then sat down and stared at me for a full three seconds before she answered. "My last name is Stronghammer. Do you have a problem with it?"

Unbidden to my lips came, "Not at all do I have a problem, you simply sounded as if you were not sure yourself, dearie."

"That did not come from you," Katrina said coldly, holding up a hand to forestall Al's protests. "It may have come out of your mouth, but it most certainly did not come from your mind. Whose mind, then, did it come from?"

I sat down heavily, taking a few moments to sort out my mind so I could answer Katrina's sudden question. "I... I don't know... from whose mind it came. I'm not becoming a Seer, am I?"

"No. You've not the mind for it." Katrina's voice was warmer, but the tone was that of someone twice her age.

"How could you tell," I asked, on the defensive. That someone would insult my mind, especially someone I'd just met, was demeaning!

Katrina's tone turned truly haughty next. "I am the first daughter, of the first daughter, of the first daughter of Rosemary the Healer."

"Mother of the gods, help me- No!" were the first words out of my mouth, followed soon by Albus's "Mary Mother of God..." We looked at each other and cracked up laughing.

Only Scorpuis did not seem to know what was revealed in the sentence, for the first words out of his mouth were, "The what?"

Katrina rolled her eyes and repeated (albeit a much shorter version of) her previous words, "I am the great-granddaughter of Rosemary the Healer."

"Who?"

Katrina rolled her eyes as I thought quickly. He is the son of Draco Malfoy, who is the son Narcissa Black, who is the daughter of... Ah.

"Your great-great-great-grandmother." I replied with a closed-lipped smile.

"Grandmother Rosemary?" Scorpius snorted. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"Because," Katrina rolled her eyes, "outside of the family Rosemary is first and foremost known as The Healer, and I didn't know if any of you were family."

"Yes Grandmother must have a great ability to heal if she had 16 children in less than a millennium," was Al's sarcastic remark.

We all snickered at the family joke. Inside the family only Sarha had had more children (at least that we've heard of).

A comfortable silence ensued. But not for long.

"So," I broke it. "Where are you from Katrina?" She looked normal enough, in her blue-jeans and t-shirt, but one didn't have to look hard to know she wasn't from England.

She sighed and rolled her eyes again, this time it was an agonized motion. "When would be a better question."

"When, then," Scorpius asked.

"Alagaesia, in the time of the Black King."

"No wonder you used Stronghammer," Al laughed. "You couldn't use your real name."

"What makes you think that," Katrina asked, using that haughty tone again.

"Oh, get real, Ismerasdaughter," I scoffed. It had taken me a bare second to bring her back-round up when she said where she was from. Mother would be so proud when I told her. "Wow that is the longest last name I have ever said."

Katrina smirked, but the feature looked almost pitying. "Hermionesdaughter is longer." We all laughed, and the tension was once more broken. Amenable chatter was interspaced by companionable silences until the lunch trolley came.

A plump little witch opened our door (and I swear she was the same one from when Uncle Harry went to school) and asked in a kind voice if we wanted anything from the trolley.

Al and I looked at each other, then back at the trolley-witch. In union we said, "We'll take the lot."

After we had gotten a bit of everything off the trolley the witch gave us the price, 11 sickles and 7 knuts. I turned and slipped three sickles and the 7 knuts out of my sleeve, holding out my hand for the rest from the others.

"Why, thank you!" Katrina said jokingly as she reached for the money in my hand. I yanked that hand back and put out my other, noticeably empty, hand.

"Chip in people, I'm not paying for this all." Katrina gave me two sickles and Scorpius and Albus each handed over three sickles. I promptly paid the trolley-witch, then I sat down and opened a chocolate frog.

"You all didn't do this for me, did you," Katrina asked after a moment.

"Na. My father did this his first year, too," Albus said charmingly.

"We're just continuing the tradition," I told the redhead with a wink.

Chocolate frogs and licorice wands were opened, pumpkin juice sipped and Bertie-Botts Every-Flavor Beans thrown about the compartment by disgusted peoples- namely Katrina, who had the misfortune of eating several of the more unappetizing flavored jelly beans.

I once again picked up my sketchbook and looked out the window for inspiration. After several minutes of staring blankly into space and nothing coming to me I looked inward, at the compartment. There I found inspiration, and started to draw.

An hour later I'd fleshed out the scene and shaded it in.

"What do you think," I asked the other as I showed them what I'd drawn.

* * *

**I hope you all like the chapter. Please, point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I don't have a beta (though one would be welcome). Tell me what you think, whether you love it, hate it, or are somewhere in between going "what in the world?" I'd love to hear what you have to say.**

**-Morzan's Elvish Daughter**


	3. First Glimpses

_**The First Years**_

First Glimpses

"It looks great," Katrina murmured, staring intently at the scene.

"You're really good," Scorpius whispered, awestruck.

"Is that us," Albus asked, shocked.

"Not bad for my first attempt at humans, eh?"

"Not bad? It's amazing!" Scorpius exclaimed.

"You guys really think so?"

"Of course!" Katrina declared hotly. "You even have all the Bertie-Botts Every-Flavor Beans in the right places!"

"How would you know," Albus questioned her.

"Photographic memory," Katrina replied with a flip of her hand, dismissing the importance.

_My ass, _I thought, but decided not to say that particular comment aloud. Instead I looked out the window, only then noticing how dark it was outside. "We'll be arriving at Hogwarts soon. You three had better get your robes on," I remarked to the three still looking at my drawing.

"Right," Albus responded. "We'll step outside while Katrina changes, then."

"Gryffindor for sure," I heard Scorpius mutter under his breath as he followed Al out of the compartment.

Katrina and I looked at each other as the door slid shut, and we both let out a small chuckle. "Can't disagree with him there," I laughed as Katrina took down her trunk.

"So, did your parents go to Hogwarts," I asked Katrina nonchalantly.

"No," was the muffled reply as Katrina undressed. "Dad's as human as you can get, and mom had too much on her mind to even think of going to school, plus the spells are a bit complicated. But she wanted me to go." She was finally pulling her robes on one piece at a time, starting with the skirt.

"Spells?"

"Time travel and reverse aging spells. They're a lot harder than people make them sound," Katrina replied as she worked on the white button-down top. At my confused look she elaborated. "I'm from a small village. It's not like I can just go away for the school year, then go back to the day I left, because I've aged."

"Ah," I affirmed as I stood to help Katrina with the black tie.

Katrina smirked, as if she knew I didn't really understand, but was doing my best to hold my questions back. "Come on," Katrina said as she picked up the outer robes. "Let's not keep the boys waiting."

She pulled on her outer robe as she opened the door and, smiling, said, "Your turn boys."

"Reverse aging spells, eh," I asked as the compartment door slid shut.

"Well, not exactly reverse aging," Katrina explained as she leaned against the wall. "They don't make you any younger, they just make you look younger."

"Ah," I commented, finally understanding, and with that we both fell to silence as we waited for the boys to finish getting changed. Until, that is, I breathed deeply and smelled what I thought to be blood. "Do you smell something?"

Katrina took a deep breath. "No. Why, do you smell something?"

"I think someone's coming. They've got a cut." No sooner had I finished, than did Scorpius open the door.

"You ladies can come in now- if you like, that is," Scorpius smirked.

Katrina and I rolled our eyes at each other as we entered. I sat down, noting once again how dark it was outside. "The prefects will be coming soon," I commented to no one in particular.

"Why would the prefects be coming," Katrina puzzled aloud.

"Oh, right! I'd almost forgotten we have a firsty," I laughed.

"Firsty," Katrina questioned before I could continue.

"First generation Hogwarts student," Al supplied. "And you really can't speak, Rose."

"As I had been saying," I continued, ignoring Al's last comment. "The prefects come around to tell us the school rules. We shall be told them two more times today alone- once before the sorting, and once before the banquet."

"Yes, and here is the first time," we heard a voice say from the opening compartment door. Cousin Victoire was standing in the doorway with a smile on her face- and a bandaged hand at her side. "I told your parents you'd have no trouble making friends- seems I was right," She directed playfully at me and Al, flipping her red blond hair out of her face. She sat down next to me, and her tone turned purely business. "Firstly, and most importantly, the forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden to all pupils. Magic is not to be used between classes in the corridors. You will be told more about the houses and house rules before the Sorting Ceremony."

As Victoire had been speaking the train had begun to slow down, and as she finished a voice echoed throughout the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Victoire jumped up and went to the door, "Well guys, that's my cue. I'll see you at the sorting!" With that she left. A second later she poked her head back in. "Oh, and Malfoy, be nice to my cousins, will you." We could all hear the implied threat in her voice ringing in our ears as she left.

"Ignore Victoire," Al said as we got up and worked our way through the thronging crowd. "She's just protective." We hadn't gotten very far up the train when the whispers started. "I don't get what the big deal is, it's not like_ we _did anything" Al murmured to me as we continued to walk.

"Don't look at _that_ way, Al," I muttered back to him. "Look at it _this_ way." I raised my voice and said, "It is _really_ hard to get through this crowd! You would _think_ with everyone going in the _same direction_ it wouldn't be so _tough_." And with those words the going got much easier.

"Uncle Ron is going to be so mad when you make Slytherin," Albus whispered in my ear. I ignored him.

We came out onto a small, dark platform and immediately heard a high female voice saying "First years! First years, over here! First years!" We pushed our way through the thinning crowd and came to stand in front of a rather tall young woman- no older than 18, really- in black satin robes. "Hello Rose, Albus," Opal Maxime practically shouted, obviously relieved to see us. "How have you been?"

"Fine," I answered. "A little neverous. Yourself?"

"Same." She looked over our heads at the sixty or seventy people gathered behind us. "Is that everyone? Good. Follow me!" We all proceeded to follow the lantern that Opal was holding, that being easier to spot than her black-clad form. We walked in silence until Opal shouted over her shoulder, "You'll get your first sight of Hogwarts in a second! Just around this bend!"

Immediately people began to crane their necks to get their first look at their home for the next seven years. We finished rounding a bend I hadn't even known we'd been taking, and there it was- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

* * *

**I hope you all like the chapter. Please, point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I don't have a beta (though one would be welcome). Tell me what you think, whether you love it, hate it, or are somewhere in between going "what in the world?" I'd love to hear what you have to say.**

**-Morzan's Elvish Daughter**


	4. The Sorting

_**The First Years**_

_The Sorting (Or Not)_

"Four to a boat, please," Opal said as she herself stepped into one of the boats. Albus, Scorpius, Katrina and I all climbed into one of the boats and watched as they started floating across the lake toward the castle. The ride was fairly uneventful, aside from when one of the boys in another boat was leaning over the edge and fell in the lake. His head had only just gone under the surface when it came back up swiftly followed by the rest of his body, which had a rather thick tentacle wrapped around his torso. It was not long after that before we once again heard Opal's voice calling for us to duck as we entered a dark cave. Soon after, the boats passed through a curtain of ivy, whereupon we came into a sort of harbor underneath the castle that was lit with torches.

In short order, Opal had herded us students out of the boats, up the stairs and into a small antechamber off the entrance hall, where the Deputy Headmistress was waiting for us. "Hello children," the Deputy Headmistress said with a smile.

"Hello Professor Granger," most of us replied.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. While you are here your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. As some of you know, and as some of you do not, the House Point system has been reinstated this year. We expect-"

"Reinstated," a girl a few people behind me asked.

I turned around and found her in the crowd, then donned my 'lecture voice' as Dad had dubbed it. "They stopped giving and taking points from the houses after the Battle." At her confused look I went on, starting with, "Ah, muggleborn." Not my smartest comment, if Mother's eyes on the back of my head were anything to go on. "Read the newest edition of Hogwarts: A- actually, don't. It's rubbish. After the Battle, after they finished rebuilding, it was decided that the rivalry had to stop. It was decided that the best way to start with that was to stop awarding Houses points. There was enough fighting between Houses without students vying for the House Cup, too. So they simply found a few more inventive forms of detention."

"That didn't involve hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons," Al chipped in.

"What was it they'd said Mr. Filtch had said that one time?" Came from Katrina. " Ah, yes. 'A pity they let the old punishments die. Was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming.'"

"_As_ I'd been saying-"

"And as _I'd_ been saying," Mother cut in, obviously believing we'd had our way long enough. "We expect you to uphold our trust in you children. Now, the Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes, but before it begins I must stress to you all again: Magic in the hallways is strictly forbidden, and no student is allowed into The Dark Forest for any reason. I suggest you all take the few moments you have before The Ceremony starts to smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you're waiting. I shall return when we're ready for you. Please wait quietly." Mum gestured for the dripping boy to come toward her. "Come here Devington, I'll dry you off."

Mother cast a simple charm that dried the boy- Devington- off and went on her way. The rest of us were left to try and tidy ourselves up- Albus took a comb from his pocket to try and tame his messy hair, Scorpius was continually smoothing his hair and robes, and Katrina and I had both produced brushes and were attempting- unsuccessfully, in my case- to control our unruly manes.

It was not long before Mum had come back in and told us that it was time to be sorted. We were brought into the Entrance Hall and up to the doors to the Great Hall. "Now, everyone," Mother called over the nervous chattering of the rest of the students. "Line up single file and follow me please."

Albus, Scorpius, Katrina and I lined up one behind the other at the head of the line, the rest of the kids following behind us as we went after Mother. The line of students swept through the large double doors and down the aisle between the tables, up onto the teachers' platform to stop facing the rest of the student body. Behind us were the teachers and other faculty, and before us, sat upon a three legged stool that all of us would soon occupy, was the Sorting Hat.

There were a few tense moments while everyone waited in silence for something to happen, and then the rip near the brim of the rather burnt wizards' hat opened and started to sing.

"Of all the many song's I've sung,  
Of all the stories told,  
Never have I seen students  
That were quite so young, and yet, so old."

The faces of everyone in the Hall, myself included, were puzzled. Whatever could the hat mean?

I would not find out until much later, for rather suddenly I was no longer standing to the far right of the Sorting Hat, but almost directly behind it. The Hat was no longer singing; all was quiet, tense. Then the Hat began to sing again, but this was a different song.

* * *

**I hope you all like the chapter. Please, point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I don't have a beta (though one would be welcome). Tell me what you think, whether you love it, hate it, or are somewhere in between going "what in the world?" I'd love to hear what you have to say.**

**-Morzan's Elvish Daughter**


	5. A Most Unusual Start

_**The First Years**_

A Most Unusual Start

I felt excitement. I'd read about this in _Hogwarts: A History_. The magical hat that had been sorting the students almost since the school began. _But I hadn't. I'd read about the founding, but I hadn't gotten to the creation of the hat before Mum saw that I was reading the newest edition and told me that it was rubbish. At least where the lasts twenty or so years were concerned. So I told myself I'd find an older edition at school. _What would the song be this year?

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

We all clapped as the Hat finished its song, and I realized that I was myself again, standing at the far right. I looked to my left and found that Scorpius and Albus looked about as shocked as I felt. I had only a few seconds to process this, and then Mum was calling names.

"Abernathy, Euphoria!" I couldn't help but giggle. _Who names their kid Euphoria? _A girl with choppy brown hair marched confidently up to the stool and was soon sorted into Gryffindor.

"Amnell, Sarha!" Katrina and I look at each other as the gap closes, a girl with long black hair having strolled arrogantly to the stool. _Surely not, _I think to myself as Ravenclaw is called out.

"Avery, Jeremiah!" A tall boy with a pinched looking face walks up to the stool, and I can't help having the feeling that I ought to keep away from him, even before Slytherin is called out.

"Becket, Annette!" A somewhat short girl- even for our age- with blonde hair moves nervously from the middle of the line, and we all shuffle inward to fill the gap, even as Slytherin is once again called out.

"Black, Casapia!" _Hu! I thought they were all dead, _were my thoughts as we moved again and Slytherin was called once more. _What's with all the Slytherins?_

"Bones, Susana!" A freckled redhead practically bounced to the stool and was promptly named a Ravenclaw.

"Boot, Trevor!" Short brown hair and dark blue eyes were my only impressions as Trevor ambled to the stool and was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Brown, Hyacinth!" S_he looks like her mum. Well, one of them, at least._ Although Hyacinth looked like Lavender, she was obviously not completely like her, as she was the first put in Hufflepuff.

"Brownstone, Laura!" The first thing I noticed about this bubbly girl was that she didn't leave everything on the train. She had our Charms book with her as she went to sit on the stool. _There's only one house for her. _And sure enough, Ravenclaw.

"Collins, William!" Not much stuck out to me as the bushy-haired boy shuffled to the stool and was sorted into Slytherin.

"Cook, Edward!" He looked sharp, like he could cut someone if they were to touch him. And it also seemed as if he had a sharp mind, for he was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Cooper, Arilla!" I was tempted to mouth to my old friend that she'd be fine, but she didn't look my way until she'd gotten sorted into Gryffindor, so I settled for a big smile and a thumbs up.

"Creevey, Colin!" The younger twin stepped up to the stool, and I heard Katrina giggle next to me as the Hat slid all the way down to his shoulders. It was sat there for a few moments before deciding that Colin was a Gryffindor.

"Creevey, Harry!" The older twin got the same as his younger brother, but for that he was put in Ravenclaw.

"Cypher, Maxwell!" Katrina started muttering something, but all I caught was "lady killer," too riveted by the striking new addition to Ravenclaw. I was so riveted I nearly missed Anita Davies being sorted into Gryffindor. Katrina had to pinch me to get me to stop staring, and even then it was hard. I only really snapped out of it as Kilroy Duke was called up and sorted into Slytherin. _Right, so that makes four Gryffindors, one Hufflepuff, seven Ravenclaws, and five Slytherins_, I thought to get my mind off of the enchanting boy. _Probably part Veela._

"Dursley, Michel!" I couldn't help but smile as Al's blonde haired, blue eyed cousin had the hat put on his head. Al had been telling me about him over the summer, and I'd taken a guess as to which house would be his.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Yep, I was right.

"Finch-Fletchly, Taner!" A quiet looking boy with hazel eyes was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Finnigan, Daphne!" Another Gryffindor. _Five Gryffindors, three Hufflepuffs, seven Ravenclaws, and five Slytherins. _Why not keep the counting up?

"Goyle, Vincent!" followed all of his namesakes by being sorted into Slytherin.

"Greengrass, Olivia!" She could have been a reincarnation of Rowena Ravenclaw with her looks, though she was put in Slytherin.

"Graves, Julian!" A boy with cropped black hair was sorted into Hufflepuff.

The H's went quickly.

"Harcourt, Joseph!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Har'op, Jaden!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Helper, Eve!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

And then we got to the Hitchens twins, who were about as fraternal as a pair of twins could be. Cassandra, the older, had black hair, brown eyes, an olived completion, and an ambitious streak that put her in Slytherin. Samantha, the younger, had blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. All this made people think of her as weak, but she'd be the first to stand up to something she didn't like, and that put her in Gryffindor.

Then came Mickey Jones, Dalton Kurume, Janie Langer, and Luna Longbottom, who all got sorted quite quickly into their houses. Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw again and Hufflepuff, respectively. I suddenly realized that we had a lot of kids with parents on staff.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" He tried to walk calmly to the stool, and nearly did, but for that he tripped on the hem of his robe. He got back up and sat down, his face scarlet as Mum put the hat on his head. It sat there for a long moment, not moving or saying anything. But just as I started to worry that something was wrong the hat called out "SLYTHERIN!"

_Well, it doesn't matter what house he's in. We can still be friends, _I thought as "Markham, Kenny" and "Mayfair, Jocelyn" got sorted into Hufflepuff. _Eight Gryffindors, eight Hufflepuffs, nine Ravenclaws, and nine Slytherins. Just about thirty more to go._

"Mills, Henry!" A slight looking boy with brown hair and an expressive face was sorted into Gryffindor. _Nine. Oh, why does my name have to be near the end?_

Marjorie Moon was made a Slytherin (_ten),_ Emma Nolton a Gryffindor (_ten), _And Catlin Nott, another Slytherin (_eleven_), were sorted before we came to the most interesting set of twins I'd ever seen.

The Pond twins were the oddest pair I'd ever seen. For starters, they were very obviously not related, because Lucinda was white and Melody was black. Yet I'd heard them talking while we waited and they acted exactly as a pair of twins would, finishing each other's sentences and appearing to read each other's minds. They both walked up when Lucinda's name was called, and she stayed by the stool as Melody was sorted. Then they both walked off to the Slytherin table as happy as could be. It was all very odd.

And then Albus was being called up to be sorted. He stumbled a bit on his way up, sitting nervously on the stool as the hat was dropped over his eyes. All was quiet, everyone wanting to know where the famous Harry Potter's son would be placed. The hat took as long with Albus as it had with Scorpius before calling out "GRYFFINDOR!"

And the table on the far left exploded. It went on for five minutes before Headmistress Sinistra got everyone to quiet down and pay attention so the Sorting could continue.

As if sensing that time had been lost, the hat sorted David Puttock (Slytherin), Orla Quirke (Ravenclaw), Harold Saxon (Slytherin), Amrita Silver (Hufflepuff), and John, Luke, and Sarah Jane Smith (Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff) with increasing speed, until it got to Katrina. Her Sorting took just as long as Al's and Scorpius' sorting's had. She appeared rather miffed as she walked to the Hufflepuff table, as if the hat had said something odd to her.

But the hat was off again, and I barely had time to register what house people got sorted into as Braxton Taylor (Gryffindor), Kevin Teasdale (Slytherin), Donna Temple, Penelope and Winsor Thomas (all Gryffindors), Kenneth Toiler (Hufflepuff), Bill Turner (Gryffindor), and cousin Louis, who got put in Ravenclaw, all got sorted even faster than the seven students between Al and Katrina had been.

But then Mum was calling my name and I had no more time to think as I stepped up to the stool and had the hat placed on my head. It slipped over my eyes so I couldn't see, and the only thing saving it from falling all the way to my shoulders was my slightly-too-large-for-my-face-nose, which dad swore I'd grow into. For the longest while the hat just sat there, and I could feel it looking through my mind, trying to see where I belonged. After a minute or so I thought, rather loudly, _Surly you've found a house for me by now?_

_Indeed, my dear. You have a mind as clever, and a tongue a sharp, as even did Rowena _"RAVENCLAW!"

I tried to puzzle out what the hat had meant as I sat beside Louis, but it wasn't long before Roxanne was sitting down beside me and whispering, "Three Weasley's, and all of them in Ravenclaw. This must be a record or something!" I smiled. Yes, it surly must be a record that there are three Weasley's in the same year, and none of them are Gryffindors.

In short order Orland Whitby, Eleanor Wilkes, Devon Wright, and Alicia Wood were all sorted into Hufflepuff and Headmistress Sinistra was standing up to give the start of term speech.

"I know you are all very hungry, but a few things must be addressed before we all eat. The Dark Forest is out of bounds to all students, no matter the reason. There is to be no use of magic in the hallways. And as most of you have probably heard by now, the House Point System is back. Triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking," at this she paused and swept her gaze across all four tables. "Will lose points. We have put our trust in you. Do not let us have to go back to the way things were." And then Sinistra gave the most wonderful smile and said, "Tuck in."

_Yes, _I thought as the tables filled with all sorts of food. _This is going to a very interesting year._

* * *

**I hope you all like the chapter. Please, point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I don't have a beta (though one would be welcome). Tell me what you think, whether you love it, hate it, or are somewhere in between going "what in the world?" I'd love to hear what you have to say.**

**-Morzan's Elvish Daughter**


	6. Friendly Wagers

_**The First Years**_

Friendly Wagers

I continued to contemplate what the hat had said to me all throughout dinner. What could it have meant, other than the obvious?

"Rose. Rose?" Roxy was waving her hand in front of my face and I realized I must have spaced out.

"I'm sorry, what had you been saying?"

"What's got to you, Rose," Louis asked.

I shook my head and gave the same dismissive wave Katrina had given on the train. "The hat said something cryptic, that's all."

My cousins knew me well enough to leave the matter alone for now, so instead Roxy brought back the topic I vaguely remember them talking about before. "Where were you on the train, Rose? We expected you and Al to be with us."

I swallowed my bite of black pudding before saying, "Al and I had a compartment in the end carriage. Then Scorpius and Katrina came in and we never really left."

Louis had his I've-just-had-the-weirdest-but-might-be-relevant-thought face on. "What?" Roxy and I asked.

"Well, don't you think it's odd that the four of you shared a compartment and then took the longest to sort?"

"I'd been thinking the same thing!" Roxy gasped.

"The thought crossed my mind, yeah. Why?"

"I just think it might be connected." And for the rest of the feast the three of us sat in silence, each contemplating our own thoughts. Until, that is, I met Katrina's eyes from across the aisle and felt a mental knock on the door to my mind.

_Yes?_

_Did the hat say something odd to you too? 'Cause Al and I were talking, and it said something weird to the two of us._

_Yeah, actually, it did. Roxy, Louis and I were just talking about that. Do you think it might have said something to Scorpius too?_

_More than likely. We need to meet up. Al and I were thinking tomorrow morning at eight, top of the entrance stairs?_

_Good a time as any. I'll tell Scorpius._

_Before you go, we've got a bit of a wager going._

_Oh?_

_You and Al will be early, I'll be right on time, and Scorpius will be late. Two Galleons each._

_Agreed. Scorpius won't like it though. _Katrina gave a little laugh and left my mind, and I looked behind me at the Slytherin table to see where Scorpius was sitting. He was close enough that I could tap him on the shoulder without getting out of my seat, and when he turned toward my I motioned for him to lean into the aisle so I wouldn't have to talk as loud. "Katrina and Al want to meet at the top of the entrance stairs tomorrow morning at eight. And they've got a bet going on who's going to be there when." He just gave me this look that I interpreted as _go on_. "Me and Al will be early, Katrina will be on time, and you will be late. Two Galleons each."

"And I say three Galleons that I will be early and Katrina will be late," Scorpius replied, then turned back to his dessert.

"What was that about," Roxy asked as I picked up my fork, only to have my dessert disappear.

"Al wants the four of us to meet up tomorrow," I huffed, upset at the loss of my dessert.

Before Roxy could even open her mouth Headmistress Sinistra stood up and the entire hall got quite. "Prefects, I think it's about time you lead the first years to their dorms, don't you?"

And just like that everyone was up and moving talking and laughing, the prefects shouting over the other kids for the first years to follow them to their dorm. Roxy, Louis and I stayed together, despite the tired shuffling of our feet and drooping of our eyes. The prefects led us up the ever shifting staircase and through what seemed to be a labyrinth of corridors before stopping in front of an old oak door with an eagle for a knocker. One of them briefly explained that we didn't have passwords and that all you had to do to get in the common room was to answer a question. He knocked and the eagle head spewed out something I was too tired to remember and soon we were all gathered in the middle of the common room. "We can see you're all tired, so we'll let you be for now. The girls dorms are on the right, the boy's dorms are on the left. If you need one of us just ask a portrait or the Gray Lady if she's around. Goodnight."

Me, Roxy and the rest of our dorm mates trudged up the stairs to the door marked first years, filed in and found the beds that had our things around them. Slowly, and with much yawning, we all changed into our night-clothes and crawled into bed.

I pulled the curtains around my bed and cast a simple silencing charm before  
lying back down and staring at the awning of my four-poster bed. As tired as I was my mind would not rest, continually going back to the events of last weekend, to what I had seen. I had been trying so hard to act normal, to act as if I hadn't seen anything. I had to act happy, even though all I wanted to do was scream at him about what I'd seen despite knowing the spell placed on me wouldn't allow me to speak of it. I turned to my side and curled up in a ball, finally allowing the tears that had been held back for days out.

Just before falling into an exhausted sleep I wondered if I could write down what I'd seen. I wasn't sure I could go on much longer being the only one to know that my father was having an affair with our honorary aunt, Katherine.

* * *

**Sorry 'bout that cliffhanger. I hope you all like the chapter despite it. Please, point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I don't have a beta (though one would be welcome). Tell me what you think, whether you love it, hate it, or are somewhere in between going "what in the world?" I'd love to hear what you have to say.**

**-Morzan's Elvish Daughter**


End file.
